You will learn all of the academic knowledge required to work in this field and, importantly, have plenty of hands-on training in our skills hub, which is equipped with the latest imaging workstations and houses one of the largest MedaPhor ultrasound simulation labs in the world.

Why Choose University of Cumbria

Our intensive course is for committed students and gives you exposure to the full-range of sonography in clinical areas, such as; obstetrics, gynaecology, general medical (abdominal and small parts), vascular, breast and musculoskeletal ultrasound training.

Approximately 75% of your studies will be practical, so you have the work-based skills required to step into a job after graduation

Our course meets the standards of CASE, regional and national stakeholders - including local ultrasound managers- so you can be assured that your learning meets the needs of future employers

Eligible to apply for registration with SCoR Public Voluntary Register of Sonographers after graduation

Use top-of-the-range ultrasound equipment and test phantoms in our skills hub to prepare you for your clinical placement and to meet the standards required by employers

Taught by a team of experienced ultrasound practitioners both in the university and in your clinical setting

We have earned a reputation in specialist international research, so your studies will be up-to-date with current best practices

We arrange your work-based placements with our partner NHS Trusts*

Opportunity to liaise and learn with professionals across medical imaging both during your studies and while on clinical placement

Study in a friendly and professional environment

Your studies will take place in Lancaster, a vibrant student city, with great transport links to the major cities of Manchester and Liverpool. Plus, you’ll only be 30 minutes from the Lake District National Park – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, you will never be stuck for something to do outside of your studies.

We do not offer selected pathways, but teach you the full range of medical imaging across the sonography spectrum to fully prepare you professionally for busy clinical environments.

We want to see you become an autonomous practitioner, who undertakes advanced ultrasound practice safely and to the high-standards expected by employers, graduating ready to step into a job as a sonographer.

*Our tutors arrange your placement and so you must be willing to work in placements across the ultrasound clinical specialisms. Placement capacity is subject to availability, suitability and viability.

Students are required to be student members of the Society & College of Radiographers (SCoR) whilst in training and, on completion, registration with the SCoR's voluntary register of Sonographers will be expected by employers.

Please note that ‘sonographer’ is not currently a protected title in the UK and, at this present time, graduates will NOT be eligible to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, although it is hoped that this will become a possibility in the future. For this reason, employment may not be possible in certain NHS trusts and some private sector organisations, although many organisations already employ sonographers from non-traditional backgrounds

Graduate destinations

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to provide evidence of preparation for practice to the standards required for a first post-qualification sonographer post. We have consulted with local ultrasound service partners who have confirmed that this would allow employment of graduates in most regional NHS contexts. However, applicants from a non-health care background should note that, at present, employment in some NHS Trusts would not be possible due to the requirement for professional registration. These potential restrictions on employment will be discussed with you during the application process and you will be asked to sign a memorandum of agreement confirming your understanding and acceptance.

At present, ultrasound or ‘sonographer’ is not a registerable health care profession. On successful completion of the full MSc in Medical Ultrasound, graduate entrants (who do not hold an existing registerable qualification) will unfortunately not be eligible for HCPC registration. However, in collaboration with CASE and the Society and College of Radiographers, this course has been mapped closely against existing HCPC standards of proficiency for diagnostic imaging.

On completion of the MSc you will be able to apply for registration with the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR) Public Voluntary Register of Sonographers. Details of the application process can be found on their website.

UK CASE accredited ultrasound awards are recognised both nationally and internationally. Whilst developing the course we have worked closely with regional and national stakeholders to ensure that when you graduate you will be well prepared to work as an autonomous ultrasound practitioner within their your speciality.

Course outline

Course summary

This course starts in January and runs in calendar years, not standard academic years.

At the beginning of the course, you will be introduced to the expectations of the whole pathway, including the two core modules and one clinical option, usually HMSU7066 (General Medical Ultrasound). In September, two more clinical option modules are usually introduced: HMSU7064 (Obstetric Ultrasound) and HMSU7065 (Gynaecological Ultrasound). The Research Methods and Dissertation modules are usually completed in the second calendar year.

Each module is credit rated. You may be assessed in various ways including coursework, presentations, reflective writing, verbal assessments, exams and reports. Assessment of clinical placements is a requirement of the qualification and students will be assessed to ensure they are clinically competent before they can receive the award.

For full-time students only: placements are provided with partner NHS Trusts in our region (whilst we will always consider your placement preference, please note that a specific placement location cannot be guaranteed). The clinical placement sites have been working with the university for many years, supporting students through the traditional part-time route for sonographers, and have friendly, supportive and experienced staff to help them develop their clinical skills whilst maintaining strong links with the university.

In certain circumstances, depending on placement capacity and your prior academic achievements/experiences, the clinical options may be subject to change and a further clinical option may be taken alongside a smaller dissertation.

Please note: Optional module choices are made by the placement. These are based fundamentally on patient caseload availability, mentor support and service need.

Modules

Year one

Compulsory modules

Physical Principles & Technology in Ultrasound

Professional, Legal & Ethical Issues in Ultrasound

Optional modules

Breast Ultrasound

Breast Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)

General Medical Ultrasound(Theory)

General Medical Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)

Gynaecological Ultrasound (Theory)

Gynaecological Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)

Independent Study in Ultrasound (non-Clinical Practice)

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (Theory)

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)

Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 1

Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 1 (Clinical Practice)

Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 2

Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 2 (Clinical Practice)

Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 3

Negotiated Ultrasound Practice 3 (Clinical Practice)

Obstetric Ultrasound (Theory)

Obstetric Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)

Vascular Ultrasound (Theory)

Vascular Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)

Year two

Research methods

Dissertation (60 credit)

Programme Specification

For detailed summary of all course content please read our programme specification for this course.

Assessment, Feedback, and Teaching and Learning methods

Timetables

The teaching timetable should be available from the end of August. Access to the timetable is through the Student Hub – you will be able to access the Student Hub after you have completed online registration. The teaching day is 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; please keep your other commitments open until confirmation of your teaching timetable, and bear in mind that many courses will offer placements or fieldwork which sometimes extends into the evenings and weekends.

Selection criteria

1st or upper 2nd class honours degree, however those with a 2:2 will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Minimum of 5 GCSE passes, grade ‘C’ or above to include Maths, English and Science (grade B or above for Science).

Preference will be given to those with at least one science subject at A-level (or equivalent) at grade C or above.

Applicants must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject area and clinical specialism

All applicants, who meet the entry requirements, will be asked to submit a 1500-word assignment. Only those who achieve a grade equivalent to 2:2 or above 50% (marked to level 6 undergraduate) will be invited to the next stage of the selection process.

Non-standard entrants will be considered on a case by case basis.

A particularly high standard of spoken and written English is necessary to cope with the clinical work on the MSc Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) course.

Applicants who have not received their secondary school education in English will require an overall IELTS score of 7 with a mean score of 7 in all elements.

Places are subject to a satisfactory Occupational Heath Check and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

Applicants should be aware that qualifications, personal statement, and references all form part of the selection criteria for this course.

Application process

There will be a two stage application process.

Stage 1 will involve an assessment/selection day at university. This will involve an assessment of your values and if these align with the core values of the NHS constitution. We are looking for candidates who are committed to:

Working together for patients

Ensuring respect and dignity is maintained in their care

Ensuring the delivery of high quality care

Making sure patients are treated with compassion

Improving lives of service users

Maximising NHS resources for the whole community

We will also be assessing applicants’ physical psycho-motor skills such as hand-eye co-ordination which is vital for the role of a sonographer.

Stage 2 (for those who successfully complete stage one): applicants will be required to visit an Ultrasound Department, at one of our agreed placement sites, and obtain a report from the visit showing their suitability for clinical training.

Key dates

The closing date for applicants for January 2020 is Friday 20 June 2019.

Interviews will be held w/c 15 July 2019.

Prospective student placements will take place between Monday 29 July and Friday 9 August 2019

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 30 August 2019.

Please note that these dates are subject to change.

Application information

Making your application

Applications should be made online directly to the university via the Apply Now button above. If you need more details or guidance, please contact enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk.

Key dates

The closing date for applicants for January 2020 is Friday 20th June 2019.

Interviews will be held WB 15th July 2019.

Prospective student placements will take place between Monday, 29th July and Friday 9th August 2019

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 30th August 2019.

Please note that these dates are subject to change.

What makes a good application?

We consider all aspects of your application, not simply your qualifications and grades. We look at your academic background and performance, relevant experience (particularly for professional courses where some voluntary or paid experience is required) and your reference. Above all, we look for motivation, commitment and potential - evidence that you can benefit from study at higher education level.

Explain clearly what attracts you to the course and tell us about your wider interests and experience. If you are applying for a course that incorporates professional training and placements, you should include any relevant experience or visits you have made in the workplace. Highlight your individual strengths and qualities, personal skills, capacity for teamwork, contribution to the community and your enterprise, originality and determination. Select some activities which bring out these qualities.

What next?

When we receive your application, we will send you an acknowledgement and if you are successful at this stage you will get either - an offer (with an invitation to visit the campus to which you have applied), or - an invitation to interview on a particular date. If we are not able to offer you a place on your chosen course we will usually try to offer you a place on a similar course and will contact you to discuss this. Alternatively, if we think you are suitable, but cannot offer you a place on your preferred campus because of the level of competition, we will offer you a place at another campus if one is available.

And if I accept?

The admissions team will contact you and send further information from February onwards about accommodation, and from May/June onwards about preparing to join the university. If you have any other queries, please telephone the admissions offices for information and advice on 0845 6061144.

Deferred entry

We welcome applications for deferred entry on some courses. If you have specific plans during your year out, indicate these on your personal statement as they may be relevant to your course and could enhance your application.

International students

Please see the international pages of our website for full details of our entry requirements (including English-language skills) as well as contacts for advice and support.

From 2009 the UK Border Agency introduced a Points-Based Immigration System (PBS) for students coming to the UK from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Students entering higher education will need to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS) plus finance confirmation to obtain a Tier 4 student visa.

UK education providers are licensed by the UK Border Agency. When students apply for their visa (or entry clearance) they will need a valid Certificate of Acceptance of Studies from the university. Please note that a CAS is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued.

Taught Degrees

Please note that fees for modules and programmes will increase due to inflation.

Paying your fees

You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.

Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.

Research Degrees (PhD)

Paying your fees

You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.

Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.

Alumni Discount

If you are interested in continuing your studies past graduation, then we’re here to help you get started. We offer a discount on postgraduate fees to eligible graduates of the University of Cumbria.

For your first postgraduate award, you could receive as much as a 20% discount on taught courses, or 10% on research degrees. This is for awards of up to a maximum of 180 credits, and does not apply to PGCE students. International students will be entitled to the same absolute discount (not percentage) as home and EU students.

To receive this discount, you must have previously studied at the University of Cumbria as an undergraduate in the last 5 years and achieved an award of 120 credits minimum, as well as meet the relevant entry requirements for postgraduate study. Accreditation of Prior Learning charges are not included in this discount.

We want to reward our students who choose to continue with academia, so for more information on this discount or anything about postgraduate study, please contact the Enquiry Centre.

Financial support

There's a range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and other funding available to support you in getting your degree.

Student Loans

Postgraduate master's loan

If you’re starting a master’s degree, you could get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to help with course fees and living costs. For MSc Physiotherapy and MSc Occupational Therapy, please see the NHS Master's Courses below.

What you’ll get

Academic year

Maximum Loan (£)

2019/20

£10,906

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

NHS master's courses

Student loan

MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Physiotherapy students who live in England will be able to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 from the Student Loans Company. This can be used as part payment (MSc Physiotherapy) or full payment (MSc Occupational Therapy) of tuition fees.

Your loan application is likely to take around 2 months to finalise so it is important to complete your application as soon as possible. We recommend completing your application by the end of May (new students) or June (continuing students) to avoid any delays in receiving your funding.

You can apply for a maintenance loan to assist with meeting living costs such as food, accommodation and travel expenses. These are normally paid in three instalments throughout the university year directly to your bank account.

Depending on household income, students may be able to apply for the following amounts in 2019/20:

To support students while undertaking the clinical placement element of their studies, the government is providing non-repayable grants which can be accessed through the Learning Support Fund. The Learning Support Fund, administered through the NHS Business Services Authority, makes available:

Postgraduate doctoral loan

Repaying your loan

The earliest you start repaying your Postgraduate Master’s or Doctoral Loan is when your annual income is over £21,000 and it’s either:

the first April after you leave your course

April 4 years after the course started

Contact Student Finance England if your circumstances change or you leave your course early. You’ll have to pay back any overpayment straight away even if your income is less than £21,000.

How much you’ll repay

You’ll pay back 6% of your income over the minimum amount (‘threshold’). This is £21,000 a year, £1,750 a month or £404 a week.

Example

You earn £2,500 a month before tax. This is £750 over the monthly threshold. You’ll repay £45 (6% of this amount) each month.

If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% covering both postgraduate loans. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment until your loan is repaid in full or cancelled.

Scholarships and bursaries

Social Work bursary

MA Social Work students may be eligible for a grant up to £3,362.50 and a means tested maintenance grant up to £2,721. Full details are available on the NHSBSA website.

The number of people who can get a bursary is limited (or capped). This means that there is no guarantee that if you take up an offer of a place on the MA Social Work course, you will receive a bursary. The university will provide a shortlist of students to the NHSBSA who will then assess bursary applications.

Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELCAS) - If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces and wish to enhance your education, then you can receive help covering your funding through the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme.

Association of Commonwealth Universities - provides scholarships, grants, loans and assistantships open to commonwealth graduates who wish to undertake further study at a commonwealth university outside their own country

Accommodation

From only £10 per night, we provide the lowest cost student accommodation in the North West. Check out our accommodation page for a full price list and more details about the residences.

Read more

Heating, lighting, water and internet costs are included in your rent and full-time students don't pay council tax.

Paying your accommodation fees

At the beginning of term, you will receive an email confirming your accommodation, your accommodation fees and a quick payment link. Please ensure that you have your student ID available prior to entering the online payments site.

Taught Degrees

Please note that fees for modules and programmes will increase due to inflation.

For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.

Paying your fees

You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.

Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.

Research Degrees (PhD)

Paying your fees

You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.

Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.

Alumni discount

If you are interested in continuing your studies past graduation, then we’re here to help you get started. We offer a discount on postgraduate fees to eligible graduates of the University of Cumbria, or any of its legacy institutions.

For your first postgraduate award, you could receive as much as a 20% discount on taught courses, or 10% on research degrees. This is for awards of up to a maximum of 180 credits, and does not apply to PGCE students.

To receive this discount, you must have previously studied at the University of Cumbria as an undergraduate and achieved an award of 120 credits minimum, as well as meet the relevant entry requirements for postgraduate study. For research degrees, this will apply to any alumni that have graduated in the last 5 years. Accreditation of Prior Learning charges are not included in this discount.

We want to reward our students who choose to continue with academia, so for more information on this discount or anything about postgraduate study, please contact the Enquiry Centre.

Financial support

There's a range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and other funding available to support you in getting your degree.

Student Loans

Postgraduate master's loan

If you’re starting a master’s degree, you could get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan to help with course fees and living costs.

Start date

Maximum Loan (£)

2018/19

£10,609

2019/20

£10,906

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

Some courses, for example Social Work and some Health Professions Masters degrees do attract some funding. Contact us for more information.

Repaying your loan

The earliest you start repaying your Postgraduate Master’s or Doctoral Loan is when your annual income is over £21,000 and it’s either:

the first April after you leave your course

April 4 years after the course started

Contact Student Finance England if your circumstances change or you leave your course early. You’ll have to pay back any overpayment straight away even if your income is less than £21,000.

How much you’ll repay

You’ll pay back 6% of your income over the minimum amount (‘threshold’). This is £21,000 a year, £1,750 a month or £404 a week.

Example

You earn £2,500 a month before tax. This is £750 over the monthly threshold. You’ll repay £45 (6% of this amount) each month.

If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% covering both postgraduate loans. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment until your loan is repaid in full or cancelled.

Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELCAS) - If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces and wish to enhance your education, then you can receive help covering your funding through the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme.

Association of Commonwealth Universities - provides scholarships, grants, loans and assistantships open to commonwealth graduates who wish to undertake further study at a commonwealth university outside their own country

Accommodation

From only £10 per night, we provide the lowest cost student accommodation in the North West. Check out our accommodation page for a full price list and more details about the residences.

Read more

Heating, lighting, water and internet costs are included in your rent and full-time students don't pay council tax.

Paying your accommodation fees

At the beginning of term, you will receive an email confirming your accommodation, your accommodation fees and a quick payment link. Please ensure that you have your student ID available prior to entering the online payments site.

Taught Degrees

The tuition fees for the 2019/20 academic year will be confirmed soon.

Please note that fees for modules and programmes may increase due to inflation.

For information about postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, please visit their website.

Paying your fees

You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.

Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.

Research Degrees (PhD)

Paying your fees

You can pay your tuition fees online, directly to the university. You can pay in full or spread out the cost through a maximum of three instalments. To discuss instalments, email us at accountsreceivableteam@cumbria.ac.uk.

Tuition fee invoices are sent electronically to students university and personal email accounts.

Alumni Discount

If you are interested in continuing your studies past graduation, then we’re here to help you get started. We offer a discount on postgraduate fees to eligible graduates of the University of Cumbria, or any of its legacy institutions.

For your first postgraduate award, you could receive as much as a 20% discount on taught courses, or 10% on research degrees. This is for awards of up to a maximum of 180 credits, and does not apply to PGCE students. International students will be entitled to the same absolute discount (not percentage) as home and EU students.

To receive this discount, you must have previously studied at the University of Cumbria as an undergraduate and achieved an award of 120 credits minimum, as well as meet the relevant entry requirements for postgraduate study. For research degrees, this will apply to any alumni that have graduated in the last 5 years. Accreditation of Prior Learning charges are not included in this discount.

We want to reward our students who choose to continue with academia, so for more information on this discount or anything about postgraduate study, please contact the Enquiry Centre.

Accommodation

From only £10 per night, we provide the lowest cost student accommodation in the North West. Check out our accommodation page for a full price list and more details about the residences.

Read more

Paying for your accommodation

If you choose to stay in univerisity accommodation you will be required to make a pre-payment of £250, and a pre-payment of £100 towards catering packages.

After you have made the pre-payment(s), and the contract has been returned, the balance of your contract will be due. Payment must be made by registration. Instalments are not available.

Please note that you do have the option to pay for the accommodation and catering in full with the contract.

Payment must be made in pounds sterling. You will be given the option online to convert your currency when making a payment.

Resources and facilities

We officially opened our high-tech ultrasound skills hub, one of the largest installation of its kind in the world, last year.

The skills hub is equipped with revolutionary ultrasound simulators which will enable students to gain basic skills by experiencing lifelike, hands-on training before entering the busy clinical environment of sonography.

With a UK-wide shortage of sonographers being identified by the government*, this half million-pound project was funded jointly by the university and a grant from Health Education North West.

The University of Cumbria has responded to the sonography workforce gap by expanding its portfolio of ultrasound courses to meet the needs of an increasingly pressured health care system. This advanced virtual-reality technology has facilitated the provision of a new accelerated route to a medical ultrasound postgraduate degree, aimed at students from non-clinical health and sciences backgrounds.

Emma Timperley (24), from Lancaster is one of this first cohort of postgraduate sonography students at the university. She says:

“My first degree was in biomedical sciences, but this postgraduate course will allow me to become a trained sonographer in two years. I had the opportunity to use this new technology for a few weeks before going out on my first placement and it’s been invaluable.

It not only gives you a real feel for the orientation of the ultrasound, but also provides all the basic information about anatomy that you need at this stage.”

Professional lead for medical sciences at the university, Charles Sloane, says:

“Students at the University of Cumbria are very fortunate to have access to this world-leading ultrasound skills development facility”.

“It will enable us to help address the shortage of sonographers that currently exists and ensure patients can continue to access the services they need to get a quick diagnosis of potentially life threating conditions, such as cancer.”

ScanTrainer, created by MedaPhor, is a specialist ultrasound skills training simulator made using ‘real feel’ technology which gives students a chance to learn what it feels like to carry out a real-life scan, preparing them for what they’ll experience in a clinical environment. In addition, its ‘virtual tutor’ technology means students are in control of their own learning, both in and out of class time.

Iain Dunbar, International Sales Manager at MedaPhor, comments:

“The new skills lab signals that the ultrasound education industry in the UK, and across the world, is finally responding to the demand for sonography skills as ultrasound grows in popularity as a diagnostic modality. The university’s approach is truly pioneering and we are delighted to be at the forefront alongside them.”

The new ‘Ultrasound Skills Hub’ at the university’s Lancaster campus was officially opened on 17 March 2016 by the then university vice chancellor Professor Peter Strike. An audience of invited guests from the healthcare professions was also given a demonstration of the new scanning equipment by postgraduate students.